


Explain

by thethirstorder (KaiserPhoenix)



Series: When The Lights Go Out [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Blood, M/M, Prompt Fic, Sparring, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 07:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6146503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserPhoenix/pseuds/thethirstorder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: General Hux and Kylo Ren are sparring. Hux is a little shit who will do anything to come out on top, but Ren has the Force...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Explain

**Author's Note:**

> For the lovely [the-radar-technician-matt](http://the-radar-technician-matt.tumblr.com) on tumblr, who sent me this prompt. I'm not great at writing fight scenes, but choreographing the fight in my head was a delightful challenge.

General Hux, his arms crossed and his eyes hardened, glowered at the hooded figure of Kylo Ren, who had his back to him and was shaking from the rage of his outburst. Ren said nothing but kept his lightsaber activated. The smouldering console in front of him emitted a few weak sparks and the last of its functioning circuits fizzled out.

“This is the fifth console you have destroyed this week,” Hux said over the spitting and crackling of Ren’s unstable weapon. “We cannot continue like this. Your lack of self-restraint is a burden on the resources of the First Order and detrimental to our mission. Before you came aboard, you were briefed on the _Finalizer_ and all her various technologies. You know full well that —”

“I don’t take orders from you,” said Kylo Ren, his distorted voice cutting Hux off. “I answer only to the Supreme Leader.”  
  
“As do I,” said Hux tersely. “We have a job to do and you are needlessly impeding our progress. Wrecking my equipment and choking my officers will not further our aims.”  
  
“You failed to bring me the droid.” Hux clenched his fists so hard that he could almost feel his nails through the leather of his gloves. He hated to admit his mistakes, but he always took responsibility for them.

Hux held his ground. “I shall report the truth to the Leader Snoke accordingly. Nonetheless, you do not have the right to destroy my ship, nor to command me.” Ren said nothing, and pointed his lightsaber at Hux. The General did not so much as flinch; he knew that even Kylo Ren was not foolish enough to murder the First Order’s highest-ranking officer in his own control room. Without warning, Kylo Ren swung the saber down past Hux and into a control panel behind him.  
  
“Ren. Stop this immediately.” Hux struggled to maintain an even tone of voice; the Knight’s constant petulant tantrums were beginning to grate on him. Kylo Ren’s response was to raise his lightsaber for another strike. As Ren brought the saber down again, Hux stepped towards him and caught hold of Ren’s hand — the hand that held his weapon. 

Hux attempted to wrest the lightsaber from Ren’s fingers, careful not to touch its ludicrous crossguard vents. In response, Ren pulled his arm towards himself, dragging Hux with it. Hux punched Ren in the chest with his free hand and did not lessen his hold on Ren’s sword arm. Ren, caught off guard by the General’s sudden aggression and surprisingly strong grip, hesitated for a fraction of a second. Hux saw his chance, seizing Ren’s lightsaber. Hux deactivated the weapon and slid it across the floor out of reach.

Kylo Ren was enraged, furious that General Hux, that pathetic excuse for a warrior who had probably never fought a battle in his life, had managed to disarm him. “You — ” Ren began, taking a step towards the General, “How dare you —”  
  
Before Ren could finish his sentence, Hux kicked him in the chest, leaving him breathless. Ren took a step backwards. Steadying himself, he stretched his arm out to use the Force on his lightsaber. The weapon began to move across the floor but before it could reach Ren, Hux tackled him to the ground. Despite his slimmer frame and shorter stature, Hux was in excellent shape and his momentum gave him the advantage.  
  
Ren wasted no time in flipping them over so that he was on top of Hux, pinning him. Hux tried to push Ren off but got a faceful of Ren’s fist instead, smacking the back of Hux’s head against the floor. In response, Hux hazily brought his knee up to kick Ren in the groin and rolled out from beneath the larger man, who was doubled over in pain.

Rising, Hux pressed a hand to his forehead just above his left eye where Ren had hit him. Thankfully there was no blood, but he knew he would have a black eye by tomorrow morning.  
  
A metal shard skimming towards his face pulled Hux from his vain reverie. He dodged it, only to be confronted with another, and another. Hux instinctively shielded his face with his hands and looked at Ren through his gloved fingers. The Knight was now standing and using the Force, summoning the debris from his earlier tantrum, to attack Hux. The shards sliced through Hux’s gloves and cut his hands, blood dripping to the floor.  
  
Hux inhaled sharply with every cut but did not drop his hands. He had an exceptionally high tolerance for pain and he was not going to give Kylo Ren the satisfaction of appearing affected by his attack. Hux ran towards Ren and dropped his hands at the last second so he could headbutt him in the stomach. Ren stumbled backwards, the shards around Hux falling to the ground as Ren’s concentration broke. One of the shards had slashed Hux’s cheek on the right side of his face and blood was running down his face and into the collar of his uniform.  
  
Ren raised his hand to resume his Force attack, but Hux grabbed both of Ren’s hands in his own in an attempt to stop him. The two men wrestled, Ren squeezing Hux’s hands hard and causing blood to ooze from Hux’s cuts. Despite himself, Hux winced, but succeeded in kicking Ren in the crotch again. Ren’s hands flew to that sensitive spot between his legs, which was emitting waves of pain and shock through his body.

Hux whipped around Ren and nudged the crook of Ren’s knee with the front of his own, sending Ren crashing face-first to the ground. It was a pity, Hux thought, that the Knight was masked. He would have liked to see Kylo Ren’s face bear the marks of their fight.

In a flash, Hux pinned Ren’s arms behind his back with one hand, knelt on the small of Ren’s back, and bent over to prop his elbow on the back of Ren’s head, keeping him pressed to the ground. By the end of it, Hux was all but lying on top of Kylo Ren.

Hux raised an eyebrow and smirked triumphantly. “Kylo, Master of the Knights of Ren,” said Hux softly, leaning down close to Ren’s mask, “Explain yourself.”

[Art by [sinningsquire]](sinningsquire.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic now has [art](http://sinningsquire.tumblr.com/post/143857908621/today-i-got-coincidentally-two-recs-to-illustrate) to go with it! Done by the amazing [sinningsquire](http://sinningsquire.tumblr.com) on tumblr and [squire](http://archiveofourown.org/users/squire) here on AO3. Show her some love!
> 
> \- I love the idea of Hux winning a fist fight against Kylo. I think it's entirely possible; Kylo underestimates Hux because he doesn't respect him as a warrior; Hux has had close combat training because there's no way a General wouldn't have that skill; Kylo never uses the Force against Hux in the film (I wonder why...), and Hux fights dirty.  
> \- I think Kylo would try to rattle Hux by making a mess of his face and uniform because he knows how much Hux cares about his appearance. Besides, dishevelled and bloodied Hux is more fun than impeccably groomed Hux.
> 
> Come and talk to me on [tumblr](http://thethirstorder.tumblr.com)!


End file.
